Combination tool



c. s. ANDERSON COMBINATIONQTZOOL Filed Oct. 2, 1923 2/ I I I \NYENTOR; IZ8 7 (mamas SflNhERsoN,

Patented June 16, 1925.

UNITED STATE 1,542,652- s PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES S. ANDERSON, OF PORT ANGELCES, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALFTO THEODORE F. BIXON, OF BEAVER, WASHINGTON.

COMBINATION TOOL.

Application filed October 2, 1928. Serial No. 666,088.

Toall whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES S. ANDERSON, a citizen of the United States,and residing at Port Angeles, in the county of Clallam and State ofWashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCombination Tools, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in convertible or combination toolsand it is within the province generally of the subject matter of thisapplication to provide a combination implement especially adapted forforesters use in fighting fires and for campers and automobilists in'themanifold uses they may have in camp or emergency for a tool of the typehereinafter described.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a device ofthe class men-- 20. tioned of simple, light and economical constructionwhich can be folded into small compass to occupy but little space in acamping outfit or tool-box and which may be readily and quicklyconverted into a serviceable shovel and cutting tool, or into a hoelikeimplement.-- i

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that, within the scope ofwhat is claimed, changes in the precise embodiment of the inventionshown can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. 7In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of a tool made inaccordance with my invention, shown in operative condition as a shovel;I

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the same, shown inoperative'condition as a hoe.

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of the handle, detached.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of the implement embodying my invention inlongitudinal section and as in process of being converted from one ofits operative positions to another.

Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation of the implement in folded position.

Referring to said views, the reference numeral 1 designates a hollowtapered socket containing the tapered chamber 2 to, receive 55 thehandle 3, to be more particularly described. Said socket is maderelatively heavy at its outer, smaller end and is formed with .anaxially arranged bore 5 therethrough which also extends through areceiver 6 welded or otherwise rigidly secured to said smaller end ofthe socket through tongues 7. Said receiver is substantially achannel-shaped member having a rectangular groove 8 and lateral walls 10and 11 perpendicular to its base 12. --One of the walls 10 of saidreceiver is of less height than its opposite wall I I a A blade 15consists of a sheet of steel formed to a suitable and convenient shapeto serve on occasion as a shovel blade, or the like, and to that end ispreferably formed somewhat concavo-convex and pointed at its outer end,as at 16. The inner end of the blade is straight and atright angles tothe handle 3 and is formedwith a square rolled shoulder 17 effected bybending the metal from which the blade is made upon itself into a hollowrectangular form of exterior dimensions proportioned-to fit snuglywithin the receiver-groove 8. 18 is a metal block having square ends 20rigidly secured, as by welding, medially within said hollow shoulder,and having a middle cylindrical portion 21 constituting a wrist-pinwhich is engaged by'the apertured end 22 of a tension rod 23 whichextends through the bore 5 into the chamber 2 whereat it isscrewthreaded, as indicated at 25. A nut 26 may be screwed down on saidrod 23 to prevent the rod from being accidentally removed from saidbore, and the blade and socket thus separated. The'shoulder 17 is'cutaway at its middle toexpose the wrist-pin 21 and admit of the pivotalmovement of the end 22 thereon. The handle 3 is provided with aferrule27 at one end tapered to correspond with the socket chamber 2 and isformed with an internally screw-threaded aperture 28 in its axis whichwhen the ferrule is thrust into the socket will register with thethreaded end 25 of said tension rod and form a not into which said rodend enters and tension may be exerted thereupon.

To secure the blade in either of the ope ative positions illustrated inFigs. 1 and 2, the blade being turned in the desired manner relative tothe handle and the shoulder 17 being entered into the receiver-groove 8the end 25 of the tensionrod will engage the aperture 28 of the handleferrule and upon turning the handle said aperture will serve as a nut toexert tension on said rod and seat the shoulder firmly and. positivelyin the groove 8 and cause the blade to be rigidly. secured to thehandle. Vhen thus securely joined to the handle the blade can be usedfor useful work and will stand hard usage as the parts are strong and ofsufiicient stability where the strains are felt. In either. of said twopositions'of theblade which respectively represent its positions asshovel and hoe it is equally secure and is retained in the same manneras the shoulder 1'? is square incross section and in either positionwill be equally welll-fit-ting and supported by said: receiver.

When changing from one form of tool to another the handle is turned tounscrew thenut-a-perture 28 from the end 25' until the latter isentirelyrelieved therefrom, as indicated in Fig. 4, except that in said view theblade is turned ninety degrees from its normal position relative to thesocket; With the rod 21 relieved from connection with the handle and theshoulder 17 removed from the receiver 7 the blade can then be swungonthe apertured end 22 througlr an arc of ninety degrees to change thetool from a shovel togafi hoe or viceversa and will thus be secured inthe n1anner described.

When the tool is to be stored away the tension rod 23 isreleased fromthe screwthrea'd's 25 and the blade can be folded over upon the socket1' as indicated in Fig. 5, after the shoulder is removed from thereceiver. Th'e'handle may or may'not be removed from the socket asprovision is made to retain the handle in the socket so that it will nothe accidentally displaced therefrom when the rod23 is disconnected. Thesocket is formed with aslot in its side wall inwhich a flat-spring 31 issecured at one end by a screw 32. At the opposite end the spring isformed with 2 lug 33 directed inwardly and? extending into the socketchamber'2.' The ferrule 27 of the handle is formed with an annulargroove 35 into which the lug 33 may snap when the ferrule is pushed intothe socket andwhich' will secure the handle in the socket againstwithdrawal until the end 36 of the spring is lifted and the lug removedfrom the groove 35. 37 indicates a cutting edge providedon one of thelateral edges of the blade 15 which Will afford a useful device forcutting brush or for other emergency work.

As will be evident the invention is simple in its construction, lightand strong in its design, and a useful and practical tool for theusesforwhich it is intended. It is primarily intended as a tool forfirewardens and forest rangers in fighting fires where water is notobtainable and the fire may be extinguished by smotheringrwith dirt, asisnow customary, although shovels of ordinary size are not usuallyavailable in: the remote camps of the fire-wardens; The handles 3 of theshovel illustrated herein may be of any suitable length but preferablyit is relatively short so that it may be contained in a convenient sizedpack.

H a-ving described my invention,- what I claim, is z- 1. A convertibletool, consistingv in a socket, ahandle in said socket formed with a:screw-threaded aperture',fia channeled re ceiver rigidly secured on saidsocket, a. blade having a square shoulder on its upper edge adapted toseat in said receiver in two relatively angular positions ninety degreesapart,- and athreaded rod pivotally connected to said shoulder andengageable by said handle to seat said blade-shoulder in said receiverunder tension in either of its twosaid positions.

2.: A convertible tool,-v consisting ina socket having a taperedhandle-receiving chamber formedwith an axially aligned aperture therein,a-receiver rigidly secured to the end v of the socket and formed with achannel. atright angles to the axis of said socket, a blade, arectangular. shoulder formed: integral along the upper edge of saidblade and adapted to bereceived within the receiver channel,- a:tensionv secured at one end to said shoulder and extending through saidsocket aperture,- the opposite end of said rod being provided withscrewthreads, and a handle rotatable in: said socket and formed with. a.screw-threaded aperture to receive the end of saidrod and exert tensionthereonto seat the blade shoulder firmly in said; receiver.

CHAS. S. ANDERSON.

